Can Being Late on Your Mortgage Make You Sick?

By S. Mitra Kalita

The foreclosure crisis may be making Americans sick.

A study published online yesterday in the American Journal of Public Health surveyed nearly 2,500 homeowners over the age of 50 who were asked if they had fallen more than two months behind on their mortgage payments since 2006.

Of those who had, 22 percent developed depressive symptoms over the next two years, compared to only 3 percent of those who weren't delinquent. Twenty-eight percent reported food insecurity -- meaning that they were hungry or did not have adequate access to food in their households -- compared to 4% for those who weren't behind on their payments.

And about a third said they were not taking medications properly due to cost, compared to 5 percent of those who weren't delinquent.

Read the full story at The Wall Street Journal.

More from The Wall Street Journal:
Higher Mortgage Caps: Back From the Dead?
Bottom Line on Rentals: Expect to Pay More
Behind the Numbers: The Housing Crash Continues

Also see:
HAMP Mortgage Modification Program Still No Help
The Mortgage Fix That Can Save the Economy

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